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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · tube · chip · bay · stock · ground · jam · charge

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. charge — electricity
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stock — goods
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stock — shares
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. ground — the earth
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chip — for betting
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com